Lightning arrester



Feb. 21, 1933. A. W. MALONE LIGHTNING ARRESTER Filed Jan. 18, 1932 Adah/2 WMa/ane I Patented Feb. 21, 1933 s UETED STATES PATENT OFFICE ADOLPH 1V. 'MALONE, F FILLMORE, UTAH, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO ALBERT H. .j, VESTAL, OF ANDERSON, INDIANA, AND ONE-THERD TO 'VJ'. B. BULLABD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

Application filed January 18, 1832.

This invention relates to lightning arresters and its object is to provide lightning arresters with arc quenching characteristics similar to those of a high voltage expulsion fuse with means for lengthening the arc by moving self restoring electrodes.

A further general object is to provide a I lightning arrester which is simple and will be efficient with a minimum of attention, one which will have a relatively long life, and one which will limit the potential of lightning and other abnormal voltage surges to very low values (small gap setting) while at the same time providing very great ability to interrupt power arcs (large gap setting).

Referring to the accompanying drawing which is made a part hereof and on which similar reference characters indicate similar parts,

Figure 1 is a vertical section, and

Figure 2, a section on line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a view in elevation of a portion of the lower end of the tube.

In lightning arr-esters of the self-healing type as heretofore constructed the internal impedance has been such as to render them very ineffective in affording the protection desired. Not only have such arresters been ineffective but they have also been relatively expensive. To overcome these difficulties lightning arresters have been built having a spark gap with an expulsion fuse in series with the circuit. The charge of lightning is shunted by a spark-over or arcing of the gap and the follow up of the power current is stopped by the blowing of the fuse. A serious disadvantage of arresters of this type is that the fuse element must be replaced after each operation. This renders such de vices impractical since the attention required to keep them in order is too great and moreover itis very difiicult without complicated mechanical arrangements to see that fuse elements are replaced several times during a single electrical storm. My inven tion combines the idea of the gap and the expulsion fuse chamber of the device by LIGHTNING ARRESTER Serial No. 587,387.

making use of a self-restoring gap within the fuse chamber.

In the drawing numeral 10 indicates a wire which. connects to the overhead line or any circuit to be protected and 11 a ground wire or wire connected to any circuit or body to which it is wished to conduct the lightning surge or abnormal electrical impulse. These wires are connected to metallic rings or electrodes 12 and 13 respectively which are mounted on a tube let of insulating material. The ring 12 may be secured by screws 20 or any other suitable means which extend to the interior of the tube so as to be in elecfuse when the same is moved upwardly due to pressure at its lower end. It can readily be seen that the tube itself need not project above the location of the ring 12, but any form of guides and stop for the plunger may be used above this point. During an electrical storm the surge of electricity through the wire 10, contact 12 and plunger 19 will be compelled to leap across the gap 18 between the lower end of the plunger and the contact ring or electrode 18. The arc formed at this gap will create an area of intense heat and consequent pressure which will raise the plunger 19 and immediately extinguish the arc, due to the lengthening of the gap and the de-ionizing effect of the moving gases in the interior of the tube; The plunger 19 will drop back to its position as soon as pressure is reduced which is soon after the arc is broken. The gaseous pressure will be dissipated through the lower end of the tube 14. The plunger 19 will be made of very light metallic or other electrical conducting material having a filler 15 of suitable characteristics encased therein. Thefiller 15. is preferably formed of-broken up carbon, which would not add greatly to the weight of the plunger 19 but would serve as a resisting conductor in case of the tendency for the electric arc to burn small holes in the metal walls of the plunger. With 5 the carbon filler inside the plunger, a burned hole in the metal walls would notprevent the device from functioning. In this case, the plunger would work until it has been disastrously damaged through excessive holes burned by the electric arcs. From the foregoing description it will be apparent that my ightning arrester is always in operative position since the device automatically restores itself to the correct position after each surge of current has been passed through it.

It will also be apparent that in the normal osition of the plunger 19, the distance from its lower end to the ring electrode 13 can 2 beset atany desired value by properly loeating the stop or rest 16 in one of the openings 21 and that this distance can be made very little greater than the normal sparking distance of the operating voltage of the Z5 circuit to be protected, without impairing the ability of the device to extinguish the power are after .it is formed by the discharge of the lightning surge. This is an important feature of my invention, since it 3 increases its efliciency in protecting electrical circuits and e uipment from lightning and other abnorma electrical impulses.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes ma be made in in device without departing rom the spirit of the invention and therefore I do not limit myself to what is shown in the drawin s and described in the specification, but on y as indicated by the appended claims. 40 Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A device of the kind described comprising a tube of insulating material, a pair of metallic electrodes on said tube and spaced apart from eachother, current, conducting wires attached one to each of saidelectrodes, a plunger positioned in said tube contacting the up er of said electrodes and spaced apart rom the lower electrode to form a spark ga therebetween, said plunger being mova 1e upward when a high surge of electricity creates a pressure against" the end thereof thereby lengthening and breaking 55 any are which may be formed across the gap between the plunger and the lower electrode, said tube having an open lower end to allow the gaseous pressure to be dissipated and the plunger to quickly return to 00 its original position, substantially as set forth.

2. A lightningarrester comprising a tube of insulati material, a pair of spaced electrodes sitioned thereon, a stop within said 7 to tube a jacent the lower electrode, a plunger within the tube ada ted normally to rest upon said stop, sai stop ada ted to be adjusted to vary the distance 0 the lower end of said plunger with respect to the lower electrode, said plunger in contact with u per electrode, means for connecting said electrodes in proper relation to electrical circuits to cause high. surges of electricity on said circuits to be conducted to and pass through the upper electrode to the lunger, jump the gap to the lower electro e, hence to the ground, the are formed creating a high gaseous pressure adjacent the end of the plunger to raise it and to break the arc,

and means for relieving the pressure created to allow said plunger to drop upon said stop, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at New York, New York, this 5th day of January, A. D. nineteen hundred and thirty-two.

ADOLPH W. MALONE. 

